WO2022133835A1

WO2022133835A1 - Transmitter, radar and vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2022133835A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/138737
Authority: WO
Inventors: 秦希
Original assignee: 华为技术有限公司
Priority date: 2020-12-23
Filing date: 2020-12-23
Publication date: 2022-06-30
Also published as: CN116648863A; EP4262101A4; EP4262101A1

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of radars, and discloses a transmitter, a radar and a vehicle, which are used for general purposes in scenarios that have various detection distances without reducing the efficiency of power amplification in the transmitter. The transmitter comprises a signal transmitter, a first sub-channel, a second sub-channel, a combiner and a transmitting antenna. The signal transmitter is used for transmitting a constant envelope transmission signal; the first sub-channel is used for carrying out power amplification and phase shifting on the constant envelope transmission signal so as to output a first transmission signal; the second sub-channel is used for carrying out power amplification and phase shifting on the constant envelope transmission signal so as to output a second transmission signal; and the combiner is used for combining the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal so as to output the combined transmission signal to the transmitting antenna.

Description

Transmitters, Radars and Vehicles

technical field

The present application relates to the field of radar, and in particular, to a transmitter, a radar and a vehicle.

Background technique

Depending on the detection distance of the radar, it is difficult for the transmitter to obtain high transmission efficiency at different power levels, which further affects the detection performance and power consumption.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present application provide a transmitter, a radar, and a vehicle, which are used to improve the transmission efficiency of the transmitter.

To achieve the above object, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

In a first aspect, a transmitter is provided, including: a signal transmitter, a first subchannel, a second subchannel, and a combiner; the signal transmitter is used for transmitting a constant envelope transmission signal; the first subchannel is used for The network transmission signal is power amplified and phase-shifted to output the first transmission signal; the second sub-channel is used to power amplify and phase-shift the constant envelope transmission signal to output the second transmission signal; the combiner is used to combine the first transmission signal and The second transmit signals are combined to output the combined transmit signal to the transmit antenna.

In the transmitter provided by the embodiment of the present application, the signal transmitter is used to transmit a constant envelope transmit signal, that is, the amplitude of the constant envelope transmit signal remains unchanged. The first sub-channel and the second sub-channel can respectively perform power amplification and phase shift on the constant envelope transmit signal, and the combiner combines the first transmit signal output by the first sub-channel and the second transmit signal output by the second sub-channel. , to output the combined transmit signal to the transmit antenna, and the power of the combined transmit signal is related to the phase difference between the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal, so the transmit power of the transmitter can be adjusted by adjusting the phase difference, thereby Improve transmitter transmission efficiency.

In a possible implementation manner, the first sub-channel includes a first phase shifter and a first power amplifier coupled to each other, the first phase shifter is used for phase shifting the constant envelope transmit signal, and the first power amplifier is used for Power amplification is performed on the phase-shifted constant-envelope transmit signal to output a first transmit signal. This embodiment provides a possible structure of the first sub-channel, which can realize the phase shift of the constant envelope transmit signal and then the power amplification.

In a possible implementation manner, the first sub-channel includes a first power amplifier and a first phase shifter coupled to each other, the first power amplifier is used for power amplifying the constant envelope transmit signal, and the first phase shifter is used for Phase shifting is performed on the power-amplified constant-envelope transmit signal to output a first transmit signal. This embodiment provides a possible structure of the first sub-channel, which can realize that the constant envelope transmit signal is firstly power amplified and then phase-shifted.

In a possible implementation manner, the first sub-channel further includes a first variable gain amplifier coupled with the first power amplifier and the first phase shifter, and the first variable gain amplifier is used to adjust the gain of the first sub-channel . That is, not only power amplification and phase shifting can be performed for each sub-channel, but also the gain of each sub-channel can be adjusted.

In a possible implementation, the second sub-channel includes a second phase shifter and a second power amplifier coupled to each other, the second phase shifter is used for phase shifting the constant envelope transmit signal, and the second power amplifier is used for Amplify the power of the phase-shifted constant-envelope transmit signal to output a second transmit signal. This embodiment provides a possible structure of the second sub-channel, which can realize the phase shift of the constant envelope transmit signal and then the power amplification.

In a possible implementation, the second sub-channel includes a second power amplifier and a second phase shifter coupled to each other, the second power amplifier is used for power amplifying the constant envelope transmit signal, and the second phase shifter is used for Phase-shifting the power-amplified constant-envelope transmit signal to output a second transmit signal. This embodiment provides a possible structure of the second sub-channel, which can realize that the constant envelope transmit signal is firstly power amplified and then phase-shifted.

In a possible implementation manner, the second sub-channel further includes a second variable gain amplifier coupled with the second power amplifier and the second phase shifter, and the second variable gain amplifier is used to adjust the gain of the second sub-channel . That is, not only power amplification and phase shifting can be performed for each sub-channel, but also the gain of each sub-channel can be adjusted.

In a possible implementation, the power amplification of the first sub-channel and the second sub-channel is in a saturated output state. At this time, the power amplification efficiency of each sub-channel is the highest.

In a possible implementation, the constant envelope transmit signal is a single tone signal.

In a possible implementation, when the transmitter is applied to a long-range radar, the phase difference between the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal is A; when the transmitter is applied to a short-range radar, the phase difference between the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal is A; The phase difference of the signal is B; when the transmitter is applied to the medium-range radar, the phase difference between the first transmitted signal and the second transmitted signal is C; then A<C<B. That is, it can be applied to long-range radar, medium-range radar and short-range radar by adjusting the phase difference between the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal.

In a possible implementation manner, the structures of the first sub-channel and the second sub-channel are the same.

In a possible implementation, the signal transmitter includes an oscillator, a phase detector and a loop filter, the oscillator is used for generating the constant envelope transmit signal, the phase detector is used for inputting the reference signal and the constant envelope transmit signal, And output the first signal related to the phase difference between the reference signal and the constant envelope transmission signal, and the loop filter is used for filtering the first signal and outputting it to the oscillator. This embodiment provides one possible form of signal transmitter.

In a possible implementation manner, the transmitter further includes a frequency multiplier and a plurality of drivers, the transmitter includes a signal transmitter, a plurality of transmit channels and a plurality of transmit antennas, each transmit channel includes a first sub-channel, a second Sub-channel and combiner; the transmitter also includes a frequency multiplier and a plurality of drivers, the output end of the signal transmitter is coupled to the input end of the frequency multiplier, and the output end of the frequency multiplier is coupled to the first end of the plurality of transmitting channels through the plurality of drivers. The input of a sub-channel and the input of the second sub-channel; for each transmit channel: the output of the first sub-channel and the output of the second sub-channel are coupled to the input of the combiner, and the output of the combiner is coupled to one transmit antenna of multiple transmit antennas. The transmitter can be used in multi-antenna radar.

In a second aspect, a signal transmission method is provided, which is applied to the transmitter according to the first aspect and any implementation manner thereof, the method includes: a signal transmitter of the transmitter transmits a constant envelope transmission signal; The first sub-channel performs power amplification and phase shift on the constant-envelope transmission signal to output the first transmission signal; the power amplification of the first sub-channel is in a saturated output state; the second sub-channel of the transmitter powers the constant-envelope transmission signal. Amplify and phase shift to output the second transmit signal; the power amplification of the second sub-channel is in a saturated output state; the combiner of the transmitter combines the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal to output the combination to the transmit antenna of the transmitter the subsequent transmission signal.

In a possible implementation manner, the first sub-channel of the transmitter performs power amplification and phase shift on the constant-envelope transmit signal to output the first transmit signal, including: a first phase shifter of the first sub-channel performs power amplification on the constant-envelope transmit signal The phase-shifted network transmit signal is phase-shifted, and the first power amplifier of the first sub-channel performs power amplification on the phase-shifted constant-envelope transmit signal to output a first transmit signal.

In a possible implementation manner, the first sub-channel of the transmitter performs power amplifying and phase-shifting on the constant-envelope transmit signal to output the first transmit signal, including: a first power amplifier of the first sub-channel performs power amplifying and phase-shifting on the constant-envelope transmit signal. The transmit signal is subjected to power amplification, and the first phase shifter of the first sub-channel performs phase shift on the power-amplified constant-envelope transmit signal to output the first transmit signal.

In a possible implementation manner, the first variable gain amplifier further comprising the first sub-channel adjusts the gain of the first sub-channel.

In a possible implementation manner, the second sub-channel of the transmitter performs power amplification and phase shift on the constant-envelope transmit signal to output the second transmit signal, including: a second phase shifter of the second sub-channel performs power amplification on the constant-envelope transmit signal The phase-shifted network transmit signal is phase-shifted, and the second power amplifier of the second sub-channel performs power amplification on the phase-shifted constant-envelope transmit signal to output a second transmit signal.

In a possible implementation manner, the second sub-channel of the transmitter performs power amplifying and phase-shifting on the constant-envelope transmit signal to output the second transmit signal, including: a second power amplifier of the second sub-channel performs power amplifying and phase-shifting on the constant-envelope transmit signal The transmit signal is subjected to power amplification, and the second phase shifter of the second sub-channel performs phase shift on the power-amplified constant-envelope transmit signal to output a second transmit signal.

In a possible implementation manner, the second variable gain amplifier further comprising the second sub-channel adjusts the gain of the second sub-channel.

In a possible implementation, the power amplification of the first sub-channel and the second sub-channel is in a saturated output state.

In a possible implementation, when the transmitter is applied to a long-range radar, the phase difference between the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal is A; when the transmitter is applied to a short-range radar, the phase difference between the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal is A; The phase difference of the signal is B; when the transmitter is applied to the medium-range radar, the phase difference between the first transmitted signal and the second transmitted signal is C; then A<C<B.

In a third aspect, a radar is provided, comprising the transmitter and receiver according to the first aspect and any of the embodiments thereof, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a signal reflected by a target and transmitted by the transmitter.

In a possible implementation, the receiver includes: a receiving antenna, a low-noise amplifier, a mixer, a low-pass filter and an analog-to-digital converter; the output end of the waveform generator of the transmitter is coupled to the first part of the mixer an input end; the receiving antenna is coupled to the input end of the low-noise amplifier, the output end of the low-noise amplifier is coupled to the second input end of the mixer; the output end of the mixer is coupled to the input end of the low-pass filter, the low-pass filter The output of the filter is coupled to the input of the analog-to-digital converter, and the analog-to-digital converter is used to output the radar detection signal.

In a fourth aspect, a radar is provided, including a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter includes: a signal transmitter, a first sub-channel, a second sub-channel, a combiner and a transmitting antenna; the signal transmitter is used for transmitting constant envelope transmission signal; the first sub-channel is used to power amplify and phase shift the constant envelope transmit signal to output the first transmit signal; the second sub channel is used to power amplify and phase shift the constant envelope transmit signal to output the second transmit signal signal; the combiner is used for combining the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal, so as to output the combined transmit signal to the transmit antenna. The receiver includes: a receiving antenna, a low-noise amplifier, a mixer, a low-pass filter and an analog-to-digital converter; the output end of the waveform generator of the transmitter is coupled to the first input end of the mixer; the receiving antenna is coupled to the low The input end of the noise amplifier, the output end of the low noise amplifier is coupled to the second input end of the mixer; the output end of the mixer is coupled to the input end of the low pass filter, and the output end of the low pass filter is coupled to the analog-digital The input end of the converter, the analog-to-digital converter is used to output the radar detection signal.

In a fifth aspect, a vehicle is provided, comprising the radar and the running gear as described in the third aspect or the fourth aspect.

In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, and a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method described in the second aspect and any one of the embodiments thereof. method.

In a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising instructions which, when run on a computer or processor, cause the computer or processor to perform the method of the second aspect and any one of the embodiments.

For the technical effects of the second to seventh aspects, refer to the technical effects of the first aspect and any of its embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram 1 of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a second schematic structural diagram of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a third schematic structural diagram of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a fourth schematic structural diagram of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of combining transmit signals of two sub-channels of a transmitter according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram V of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a sixth schematic structural diagram of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a seventh schematic structural diagram of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram eight of a radar according to an embodiment of the present application;

10 is a schematic structural diagram of a signal transmitter according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmitter according to an embodiment of the application;

12 is a schematic diagram of combining transmit signals of multiple transmit channels according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the application.

Detailed ways

According to the detection distance of radar, radar can be divided into long-range radar (LRR), mid-range radar (MRR) and short-range radar (SRR). Among them, the detection distance of LRR can reach 280 meters, the detection distance of MRR can reach 120 meters, and the detection distance of SRR can reach 30 meters. Among them, LRR is a narrow-band radar with a narrow detection range and a spatial resolution of about 0.5 meters, which is often used for adaptive cruise of vehicles; LRR and MRR are wide-band radars with a wide detection range and its spatial resolution can reach centimeter-level, Often used to detect the surrounding environment.

In scenarios such as automotive radar, wireless gesture recognition, and vital sign monitoring, the target is often used very close to the radar. Due to the short round-trip delay (RTD) of the signal, the pulsed radar cannot work normally. Therefore, the pulse radar is not used in the scene close to the target, but the frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar is used.

In an FMCW radar, the transmitted signal is modulated in frequency (or phase), and the distance of a target relative to the radar is measured from the phase or frequency difference between the transmitted and received signals.

Taking the transmitted signal of linear frequency modulated (LFM) waveform as an example, the instantaneous frequency of the waveform increases or decreases linearly with time, and it is also called chirp because it is converted into audio frequency that sounds like birdsong. Since the frequency changes linearly in a large range, the distance of the target relative to the radar is proportional to the frequency difference, so the distance of the target relative to the radar can be determined by the frequency difference.

FIG. 1 shows the structure of an FMCW radar, including a transmitter 10 and a receiver 11 , wherein the transmitter 10 includes a signal transmitter 101 , a power amplifier (PA) 102 and a transmitting antenna 103 . The receiver includes: a receiving antenna 111, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 112, a mixer 113, a low-pass filter (LPF) 114, and an analog-to-digital converter (analog-to-digital converter). , ADC) 115.

For the transmitter, the output end of the signal transmitter 101 is coupled to the input end of the PA 102, and the output end of the signal transmitter 101 is also coupled to the first input end of the mixer 113; the output end of the PA 102 is coupled to the transmitting antenna 103.

The signal transmitter 101 is used to generate a radar detection waveform of the transmitted signal, such as an LFM waveform. PA 102 is used to amplify the radar detection waveform. The transmitting antenna 103 is used to transmit the radar detection waveform in the form of radio frequency, that is, to form a transmitting signal.

For the receiver, the receive antenna 111 is coupled to the input of the LNA 112, the output of the LNA 112 is coupled to the second input of the mixer 113, the output of the mixer 113 is coupled to the input of the LPF 114, and the LPF 114's output The output is coupled to the input of ADC 115 .

The receiver is used to receive the signal reflected by the target and transmitted by the transmitter. The receiving antenna 111 is used to receive the reflected signal from the target. LNA 112 is used to amplify the reflected signal. The mixer 113 is used for mixing the reflected signal and the transmitted signal to obtain a mixed signal. The LPF 114 is used to filter out high frequency signals in the mixed signal. The ADC 115 is used to convert the analog mixed signal into a digital signal (ie, a radar detection signal) for further analysis.

When the waveform of the reflected signal is an LFM waveform, the reflected signal can be modeled as a sine wave at the output end of the mixer 113, and the frequency of the sine wave is proportional to the round-trip delay (RTD), the A sine wave is s(t) as shown in Equation 1:

Among them, f _c is the center frequency of the LFM waveform, γ is the center frequency of the chirp rate (ie, the chirp rate of change), and f _c + γt is the instantaneous frequency that increases linearly with time t. The received signal relative to the reflected signal can be modeled as x(t) as shown in Equation 2:

where β is the amplitude and τ is the delay.

The transmitted signal s(t) and the reflected signal x(t) can be combined at mixer 113 to obtain y(t) as shown in Equation 3:

y(t) is the sine wave with respect to time t. By applying a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to the output of the ADC 115, the time delay τ can be estimated, and the distance D between the target and the radar can be obtained as shown in Equation 4.

D=τc/2 Equation 4

where c is the speed of light.

LRR, MRR and SRR radars have different requirements on the transmit power of the transmitter. The transmit power of the LRR transmitter is greater than that of the MRR transmitter, and the transmit power of the MRR transmitter is greater than that of the SRR transmitter. If the LRR transmitter is directly applied to the SRR, more power backoff will lead to serious deterioration of the efficiency of the power amplifier (PA) in the transmitter. If different transmitters are developed for LRR, MRR, and SRR, the project cycle and the difficulty of product maintenance will increase.

In order to design a transmitter that can be used in LRR, MRR and SRR, in a possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 2 , between the PA 102 of the LRR transmitter and the signal transmitter 101 can be added A variable gain amplifier (variable gain amplifier, VGA) 201 is applied to different types of radars by adjusting the gain of the VGA 201. However, the efficiency of the PA 102 is usually the highest at the maximum output power. When the above-mentioned transmitter of LRR is applied to the MRR or SRR, the input power and output power of the PA 102 are reduced due to the reduction of the gain of the VGA, so the PA 102 will be reduced. s efficiency.

In another possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 3, the PA 102 can be set as a PA with adjustable output power. Similarly, the efficiency of the PA 102 is usually maximum at the maximum output power, and when the output power of the PA 102 is reduced, the efficiency of the PA 102 is also reduced.

Therefore, in order to design a radar that can be used in scenarios with multiple detection distances and improve the transmission efficiency of the transmitter, the embodiments of the present application provide another radar, the transmitter of which includes a signal transmitter, two channel and a combiner, each channel is used to power amplify and phase shift the constant envelope transmit signal emitted by the signal transmitter, and the power amplification of these two channels can work in a saturated output state, so the power amplification will not be reduced. Efficiency, the combiner combines the signals output by the two channels and transmits them through the antenna, and adjusts the transmit power of the radar by adjusting the phase of the two channels, so that the radar can be used in different scenarios such as LRR, MRR, and SRR. , without reducing the efficiency of power amplification in the transmitter.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the radar includes a transmitter 40 and a receiver 41 . The transmitter 40 includes a signal transmitter 401 , a first sub-channel 402 , a second sub-channel 403 , a combiner 404 and a transmitting antenna 405 . The receiver 41 includes a receive antenna 411 , an LNA 412 , a mixer 413 , an LPF 414 and an ADC 415 . Regarding the functions of each device in the receiver 41, reference is made to the foregoing description, which will not be repeated here. The transmitter 40 is used to perform the signal transmission method described below.

The signal transmitter 401 is used for transmitting a constant envelope transmission signal, and the constant envelope means that the amplitude is constant. The constant envelope transmit signal may be a frequency modulated single tone signal. For example, for FMCW modulation, the transmit signal is required to be a constant envelope, and the frequency is modulated.

The first sub-channel 402 is used for power amplifying and phase-shifting the constant envelope transmit signal to output the first transmit signal; the power amplification of the first sub-channel 402 is in a saturated output state.

The second sub-channel 403 is used for power amplifying and phase-shifting the constant envelope transmit signal to output the second transmit signal; the power amplification of the second sub-channel 403 is in a saturated output state.

The structures of the first sub-channel 402 and the second sub-channel 403 may be the same or different.

Since the constant envelope transmit signal has a constant envelope, that is, the amplitude is constant, the power amplification of each sub-channel can be configured to a saturated output state according to the amplitude.

The combiner 404 is configured to combine the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal to output the combined transmit signal to the transmit antenna 405 .

The aforementioned phase shifting refers to changing the phase; combining refers to combining the phases to combine the transmitted signals. Since the phases of the transmit signals output by the two sub-channels may be different, the transmit signals may be enhanced or canceled during the combination, and the power of the combined transmit signals will also increase or decrease accordingly, so that the power can be changed by adjusting the phase. .

As shown in FIG. 5 , assuming that the amplitudes of the first transmit signal OUT1 and the second transmit signal OUT2 are the same, the phase of the first transmit signal OUT1 is

The phase of the second transmit signal OUT2 is

The phase of the combined transmit signal OUT by the combiner 404 is

The power of the transmit signal OUT

Wherein, V ₀ represents the amplitude of the first transmission signal OUT1 or the second transmission signal OUT2, and _RL represents the load resistance. That is, the power P of the transmit signal OUT depends on the phase difference between the first transmit signal and the first transmit signal

The smaller the phase difference is, the greater the power P of the transmit signal OUT is, the greater the phase difference is, the smaller the power P of the transmit signal OUT is, and when the phase difference is zero, the power P of the transmit signal OUT reaches the maximum.

In other words, when the transmitter is applied to a long-range radar (that is, the radar is a long-range radar), the phase difference between the first transmitted signal and the second transmitted signal is A; the transmitter is applied to a medium-range radar (that is, the radar is a medium-range radar) ), the phase difference between the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal is B; when the transmitter is applied to a short-range radar (that is, the radar is a short-range radar), the phase difference between the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal is C; Then A<B<C.

In the above-mentioned radar and transmitter provided by the embodiments of the present application, the signal transmitter is used to transmit a constant envelope transmit signal, that is, the amplitude of the constant envelope transmit signal remains unchanged. The first sub-channel and the second sub-channel can respectively perform power amplification and phase shift on the constant envelope transmit signal, and the combiner combines the first transmit signal output by the first sub-channel and the second transmit signal output by the second sub-channel. , to output the combined transmit signal to the transmit antenna, and the power of the combined transmit signal is related to the phase difference between the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal, so the transmit power of the transmitter can be adjusted by adjusting the phase difference, so that The two sub-channels can be used for power amplification with maximum efficiency, thereby improving the transmitter transmission efficiency.

That is to say, the frequency-modulated constant-envelope transmit signal is input through two sub-channels, and the power amplification of these two sub-channels works in a saturated output state; and then through phase adjustment and combination, the power level of the transmit signal is adjusted to achieve Similar to the VGA function, while ensuring that the power amplifier always works in a high-efficiency state.

In a possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 6 , the first sub-channel 402 includes a first phase shifter 4021 and a first power amplifier (PA) 4022 coupled with each other, and the first phase shifter 4021 is used for constant The envelope transmit signal is phase-shifted, and the first power amplifier 4022 is configured to perform power amplification on the phase-shifted constant envelope transmit signal to output the first transmit signal.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 7 , the first sub-channel 402 may further include a first variable gain amplifier 4023 coupled with the first power amplifier 4022 and the first phase shifter 4021, and the first variable gain amplifier 4023 is used for The gain of the first sub-channel 402 is adjusted.

The second sub-channel 403 includes a second phase shifter 4031 and a second power amplifier 4032 coupled to each other, the second phase shifter 4031 is used for phase shifting the constant envelope transmit signal, and the second power amplifier 4032 is used for phase shifting The constant-envelope transmit signal is then subjected to power amplification to output a second transmit signal.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 7 , the second sub-channel 403 may further include a second variable gain amplifier 4033 coupled with the second power amplifier 4032 and the second phase shifter 4031, and the first variable gain amplifier 4033 is used for The gain of the second sub-channel 403 is adjusted.

In another possible implementation manner, as shown in FIG. 8 , the first sub-channel 402 includes a first power amplifier 4022 and a first phase shifter 4021 coupled with each other, and the first power amplifier 4022 is used for transmitting constant envelope The signal is subjected to power amplification, and the first phase shifter 4021 is used for phase shifting the power amplified constant envelope transmission signal to output the first transmission signal.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 9 , the first sub-channel 402 may further include a first variable gain amplifier 4023 coupled with the first power amplifier 4022 and the first phase shifter 4021, and the first variable gain amplifier 4023 is used for The gain of the first sub-channel 402 is adjusted.

The second sub-channel 403 includes a second power amplifier 4032 and a second phase shifter 4031 coupled to each other, the second power amplifier 4032 is used for power amplifying the constant envelope transmit signal, and the second phase shifter 4031 is used for power amplifying Phase-shifting of the latter constant envelope transmit signal is performed to output a second transmit signal.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 9 , the second sub-channel 403 may further include a second variable gain amplifier 4033 coupled with the second power amplifier 4032 and the second phase shifter 4031, and the first variable gain amplifier 4033 is used for The gain of the second sub-channel 403 is adjusted.

This application does not limit the structure of the signal transmitter 401. In a possible implementation manner, as shown in FIG. 10, the signal transmitter 401 may be a phase-locked loop, including an oscillator 4011, a phase detector 4012 and a loop filter 4013, the phase detector 4012 is configured to input the reference signal and the constant envelope transmit signal, and output the first signal related to the phase difference between the reference signal and the constant envelope transmit signal, for example, the larger the phase difference, the greater the phase difference of the first signal. The higher the voltage; the loop filter 4013 is used to filter the first signal and output it to the oscillator 4011, so as to drive the oscillator 4011 to generate a constant envelope transmit signal.

Taking the above-mentioned first sub-channel and second sub-channel as one transmission channel, the transmitter provided in this embodiment of the present application may include multiple transmission channels, that is, the directivity or detection resolution of the radar is improved in the form of a multi-antenna array.

Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 11 , the transmitter may include a signal transmitter 401 , multiple (eg, four) transmit channels 51 and multiple transmit antennas 405 , each transmit channel including the aforementioned first sub-channel 402 . , the second sub-channel 403 and the combiner 404 .

Optionally, the transmitter may further include a frequency multiplier 52 and a plurality of drivers 53 , the output end of the signal transmitter 401 is coupled to the input end of the frequency multiplier 52 , and the output end of the frequency multiplier 52 is coupled through the plurality of drivers 53 To the input of the first sub-channel 402 and the input of the second sub-channel 403 of the plurality of transmit channels 51 . For each transmit channel 51 : the output of the first sub-channel 402 and the output of the second sub-channel 403 are coupled to the input of a combiner 404 whose output is coupled to one transmit antenna 405 of the plurality of transmit antennas 405 . The frequency multiplier 52 is used to multiply the frequency of the constant-envelope transmit signal transmitted by the signal transmitter 401 , and transmit it to each transmit channel through the driver 53 . The driver 53 is used to improve the driving capability of the signal transmitter 401 .

In some high-frequency (eg 77GHz) radars, the signal transmitter 401 may not be able to directly transmit the high-frequency signal, but instead transmits a low-frequency constant-envelope transmit signal and then multiplies the frequency through the frequency multiplier 52, such as the signal The transmitter 401 transmits a constant envelope transmit signal of 19.25 GHz, and then it is quadrupled by the frequency multiplier 52 to reach 77 GHz.

There may be a long path from the frequency multiplier 52 to the transmitting channel, and the driver 53 is used to improve the driving capability of the signal source, so as to prevent the signal amplitude from being too small after reaching the transmitting channel.

As shown in A in Fig. 12, it is assumed that the phase of the first transmit signal output by the first sub-channel of the first transmit channel is

The phase of the second transmit signal output by the second sub-channel of the first transmit channel is

Then the phase of the transmit signal OUT1 of the first transmit channel is

Power is

Wherein, V ₀ represents the amplitude of the first transmit signal of the first sub-channel or the second transmit signal of the second sub-channel, and _RL represents the load resistance.

As shown in B in Figure 12, it is assumed that the phase of the first transmit signal output by the first sub-channel of the second transmit channel is

The phase of the second transmit signal output by the second sub-channel of the second transmit channel is

Then the phase of the transmit signal OUT2 of the first transmit channel is

Power is

As shown in C in Figure 12, it is assumed that the phase of the first transmit signal output by the first sub-channel of the third transmit channel is

The phase of the second transmit signal output by the second sub-channel of the third transmit channel is

Then the phase of the transmit signal OUT3 of the first transmit channel is

Power is

As shown in D in Fig. 12, it is assumed that the phase of the first transmit signal output by the first sub-channel of the fourth transmit channel is

The phase of the second transmit signal output by the second sub-channel of the fourth transmit channel is

Then the phase of the transmit signal OUT4 of the first transmit channel is

Power is

Due to systematic errors and random errors in the manufacturing process, there is a mismatch between each transmission channel, so that the power or phase of the output signal of each transmission channel is different. The phase θ and output power P of the transmit signal OUT of each transmit channel can be adjusted by adjusting the phase shift angle of the two sub-channels of the transmit channel, so that the phase and power of the output signals of each transmit channel are aligned. This process is called the calibration process, which can be performed at the factory or at each start-up, and can also be performed in spare time between jobs.

As shown in FIG. 13 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a vehicle, including the aforementioned radar 131 and a traveling mechanism 132 , wherein the power device is used to drive the vehicle to travel. The vehicle can be a traditional fuel vehicle such as a fuel vehicle and a gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

Embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, where a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, when the computer or processor is executed, the computer or processor causes the computer or processor to execute the above-mentioned signal transmission method.

Embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product containing instructions, when the instructions are executed on a computer or a processor, the computer or the processor causes the computer or processor to execute the above signal transmission method.

For the technical effects of the vehicle, the computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program product provided by the embodiments of the present application, reference may be made to the foregoing descriptions about the transmitter and the radar, which will not be repeated here.

Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality using different methods for each particular application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the above-described systems, devices and units may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods may be implemented in other manners. For example, the device embodiments described above are only illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or Can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored, or not implemented. On the other hand, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, and may be in electrical, mechanical or other forms.

The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, may be located in one place, or may be distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution in this embodiment.

In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically alone, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, it may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on the computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be downloaded from a website site, computer, server, or data center Transmission to another website site, computer, server or data center by wire (eg coaxial cable, optical fiber, Digital Subscriber Line, DSL) or wireless (eg infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or data storage devices including one or more servers, data centers, etc. that can be integrated with the medium. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a Solid State Disk (SSD)), and the like.

The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. should be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

A transmitter, comprising: a signal transmitter, a first sub-channel, a second sub-channel, and a combiner;

The signal transmitter is used to transmit a constant envelope transmit signal;

The first sub-channel is used for power amplifying and phase shifting the constant envelope transmit signal to output the first transmit signal;

The second sub-channel is used for power amplifying and phase shifting the constant envelope transmit signal to output a second transmit signal;

The combiner is configured to combine the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal, so as to output the combined transmit signal to the transmit antenna.
The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-channel comprises a first phase shifter and a first power amplifier coupled to each other, and the first phase shifter is used for transmitting the constant envelope The signal is phase-shifted, and the first power amplifier is configured to perform power amplification on the phase-shifted constant-envelope transmit signal to output the first transmit signal.
The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-channel comprises a first power amplifier and a first phase shifter coupled to each other, and the first power amplifier is used for transmitting the constant envelope The signal is subjected to power amplification, and the first phase shifter is configured to perform phase shifting on the power amplified constant envelope transmission signal to output the first transmission signal.
The transmitter according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first sub-channel further comprises a first variable gain amplifier coupled to the first power amplifier and the first phase shifter, the The first variable gain amplifier is used to adjust the gain of the first sub-channel.
The transmitter according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the second sub-channel comprises a second phase shifter and a second power amplifier coupled to each other, and the second phase shifter is used to The constant envelope transmit signal is phase-shifted, and the second power amplifier is used for power amplifying the phase-shifted constant envelope transmit signal to output the second transmit signal.
The transmitter according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the second sub-channel comprises a second power amplifier and a second phase shifter coupled with each other, and the second power amplifier is used to The constant envelope transmit signal is subjected to power amplification, and the second phase shifter is configured to perform phase shift on the power amplified constant envelope transmit signal to output the second transmit signal.
The transmitter according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the second sub-channel further comprises a second variable gain amplifier coupled to the second power amplifier and the second phase shifter, the The second variable gain amplifier is used to adjust the gain of the second sub-channel.
The transmitter according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the power amplification of the first sub-channel and the second sub-channel is in a saturated output state.
The transmitter according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the constant envelope transmit signal is a single tone signal.
The transmitter according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein when the transmitter is applied to a long-range radar, the phase difference between the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal is A; When the transmitter is applied to the short-range radar, the phase difference between the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal is B; then A<B.
The transmitter according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the first sub-channel and the second sub-channel have the same structure.
The transmitter according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the signal transmitter comprises an oscillator, a phase detector and a loop filter, and the oscillator is used to generate the constant envelope transmission signal, the phase detector is used for inputting the reference signal and the constant envelope transmit signal, and outputs a first signal related to the phase difference between the reference signal and the constant envelope transmit signal, the loop filtering The device is used for filtering the first signal and outputting it to the oscillator.
The transmitter according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the transmitter comprises the signal transmitter and a plurality of transmission channels, and each transmission channel comprises the first sub-channel, the first sub-channel, the Two sub-channels and the combiner; the transmitter further includes a frequency multiplier and a plurality of drivers, the output end of the signal transmitter is coupled to the input end of the frequency multiplier, and the output end of the frequency multiplier Coupled to the input of the first sub-channel and the input of the second sub-channel of the plurality of transmit channels through the plurality of drivers; for each transmit channel: the output of the first sub-channel and the first sub-channel The output end of the two sub-channels is coupled to the input end of the combiner, and the output end of the combiner is coupled to one transmit antenna of the plurality of transmit antennas.
A radar, characterized in that it comprises a transmitter and a receiver according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a signal reflected by a target and transmitted by the transmitter.
A vehicle comprising the radar and running gear of claim 14 .